Samba New York! is a leading center for Brazilian samba culture in NYC, offering shows, classes in drumming and dance, and guided music trips to Brazil. The Estado de São Paulo, one of Brazil’s most prominent newspapers, recently praised Samba New York! as “the most famous and active ‘school of samba’ in [New York] City” (August 25, 2009).

Inspired by the famous escola de samba parade associations of Rio de Janeiro, Samba New York’s professional Show Group brings the joy and energy of Brazilian Carnaval to events of all kinds, public and private. We have performed at many of NYC’s most prestigious venues — from the Best Buy Theatre (formerly Nokia) in Times Square to Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater — and can put together the optimal show for your next event!

Our percussion courses taught by Samba New York’s founder and Director, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D., provide exceptional training in the art of Rio-de-Janeiro-style samba school drumming. And our seasonal Open Rehearsal in September and October prepares percussionists and dancers alike to perform with Samba New York! in the popular Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. A unique opportunity to experience the vibrant Rio Carnaval culture in the heart of New York City, our Open Rehearsal features a samba dance practice session led by top instructor Danielle Lima, accompanied by the exhilarating live drumming of our Bateria.

But Samba New York! doesn’t stop there! We also offer a cultural immersion trip to Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval, guided by Philip Galinsky, who has over 15 years of experience as an ethnomusicologist and percussionist in Brazil.

Percussionist and ethnomusicologist Philip Galinsky is the founder and Director of Samba New York!

A musician his entire life, he was the lead guitarist and principal songwriter of the band The Sting Rays from age eight to sixteen. After two-and-a-half years studying studio/jazz guitar and drum set at the USC School of Music in Los Angeles, he returned to New York to receive his BA in Music from Columbia University, which he graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.

It was at Columbia that he discovered his passion for Brazilian music, especially the samba. After working for the late folklorist Alan Lomax for one year, he entered the world music program at Wesleyan University, earning a masters and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology.

He has been conducting music research in Brazil for 19 years, having published pioneering work on both the pagode samba and mangue beat movements. His doctoral dissertation, Maracatu Atômico, was selected for publication in Routledge’s Outstanding Dissertations series. He has held teaching positions at Wesleyan University, UC Davis, and Hampshire College.

He has studied with numerous master Brazilian drummers. His many teachers of Brazilian percussion have included Jorge Alabê, Jonas Oliveira, Odilon Costa, Miguel do Repinique, Wagner Bezerra (aka Boca Rum), Anderson Bezerra, Maninho Costa, Justino Rogers, Ivo Araújo, Eddie Rosenthal, Marcos Ferreira, Fernando Ébano, Gamo, Kristina Kanders, Jorge Martins da Silva, Neide Alves, and Dudu Fuentes.

Since 1999, Dr. Galinsky has performed as a percussionist in the Rio Carnaval in the official parades of various samba schools, including some of Brazil’s most renowned escolas: Mocidade, Salgueiro, Imperatriz, Cubango, Império da Tijuca, and Acadêmicos de Vigário Geral. He has also performed throughout the US, including at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the Rainbow Room, Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the San Francisco Carnaval.

He has held residencies in Brazilian percussion at the University of Michigan, Frederick Douglass Academy in New York City, and the Triple Hill Music Festival in Mount Vernon, NY. He has given samba workshops at numerous other institutions, including New York University, City University of New York Graduate Center, Stony Brook University, University of Southern Maine, and Drummers Collective.

He currently teaches Brazilian percussion at PS 234 in Manhattan and Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance in Brooklyn. He has been on the faculty of the California Brazil Camp in Cazadero, California since 2009. A leading authority in the US on Brazilian music, he is available as an educator and specialist in Brazilian percussion for workshops, lecture-demonstrations, private instruction, and performances.